Seventeen Forever
by Dracardoris
Summary: We're one mistake from being together, so let's not ask why it's not right. You won't be seventeen forever and we can get away with this tonight. AU DM/HG One-Shot Total fluff... you have been warned! R


**Disclaimer- Harry Potter and all of its contents belong to the great fictional mind of J.K. Rowling. And the song Seventeen Forever belongs to Metro Station.**

**A/N- It has been ages since I updated and I'm going to India in three days so I decided to write a one-shot that I could come back to and see so many reviews for… right?? FYI: It's totally fluffed up! I'm in a mood…**

_You are young and so am I.  
And this is wrong, but who am I to judge  
You feel like heaven when we touch  
I guess for me this is enough_

The night was still. Silent. Only the distant coos of nature could reach the relaxed ears of a Hogwarts student, out late and far past curfew. Eyes wide open and mind just as broad, she lay on the freshly cut grass of the Quidditch pitch. Her chestnut colored hair was sprayed carelessly around her full face, creating a halo above her crown.

She stared up at the soaring heavens, gazing deep into a timeless glimpse of endless space. Same as yesterday. Same as the day before it. For sleep didn't come easily to this extraordinary witch. Try as she might, her thought process refused to rest until it was remarkably fatigued. Her eyes spoke to the night, of a story her lips refused to divulge.

Filled with pain and remorse, she spent her hours awake striving to accomplish her goals. Truly the goals of her parents. Those parents who looked down upon her because she had become exactly the person they had loved and cherished, but lost in a tragic accident. She was a constant reminder of the agony that the couple had suffered when Aaron John Granger died a heartrending death in a magical crossfire. Forever tied to the magical world, the cause of their beloved son's death, their sorrow led them to place all the blame and hatred towards one point. Their link to a world so unlike their own. So developed, yet savage and dangerous.

Hermione Jane Granger.

She shut her eyes, fighting back the tears and kept them close until she was positive that she could open them without crying for herself. Before she knew it, sleep overcame her agitated senses and put her mind to a long awaited rest.

Stepping into the rarely yet currently motionless air outdoors, the rays of the full moon danced gracefully along the minute leaves of grass, coated delicately in glistening dew. He walked towards his usual spot; the perfect place to unwind and let his emotions loose. His mouth twitched up to a reveal a smile as he realized that Hermione was already there. But as he came up closer and knelt down near her, he found that she was asleep, judging by her flickering eyes and the steady rise and fall of her chest.

Content with simply watching her, he lay down on his side, head resting on the hand he held midair, while cushioning his elbow on the supple soil. He assessed every aspect of her, from head to toe. Her wide eyes were peacefully closed and her slightly upturned nose let out a soft sound as she breathed. Her lips lay unmoving, slightly parted. They were not small, yet not plump as were of the numerous girls he had dated.

He let out a sigh just as she stirred awake from her sleep, conscious for long enough to notice that he was here and lying next to her.

Hermione woke up in a start and sat up, looking straight into Draco's eyes for a minute.

"Hi."

His voice came out in barely a whisper but she caught it none the less.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

He sat up too, cross-legged, and cocked is head to the side, smirking at her.

"What and disturb the little sleep you let yourself have?"

"Yes. And for your information it's not little, it's quite sufficient."

"Sure it is. Well now if you're done with your little awakening tantrum, I have something different planned for tonight."

"Different? So you found something better for us to do than your previous ideas like to swim with the giant octopus, ride the thestrals and use charmed roller blades to skate on the roofs? All of which FYI resulted in some sort of illness or injury."

Sarcasm dripped from her mocking tone.

"Yea."

Hermione looked hesitant but inside, she was eager to know what new activity he had thought of. Spending time with Draco had given her the sweet escape she needed. With him she could enjoy the fun side of life, be impulsive and make random decisions about random things like trying to cut a branch off the Whomping Willow; _which they managed to do after a lot of grueling hours of silent spell casting, agile dodging and sheer luck. _

"Okay, tell me what your new plan is Mr. I-think-I'm-a-genius-but-really-I'm-a-nutter!"

He glared at her playfully for while and then decided to continue.

"I'm taking you flying on my broom," Draco announced simply.

Hermione's mouth fell open and stayed there. Not only had she never been on a broom before but flying on thin wooden sticks did not appeal to her or insure her safety. There was no way that Hermione was getting on a broom with Slytherin _Seeker, _Draco Malfoy, who happened to own the fastest broom ever to be made.

Sensing her fear and denial of his offer, he took her hand and looked at her meaningfully. In that split second of silence, while Draco held Hermione's hand between his long fingers, he felt thousands of unknown emotions. He sucked in a shaky breath and knew that this was where his hands were forever destined to remain, entwined with hers. He looked at his hands and then at Hermione's face, suddenly feeling as if the air had been knocked out of him. Fear was apparent in her expression, but so was utmost trust and pure fortitude. He knew that most people did not see her as an extravagant beauty, but to Draco, Hermione was the most attractive creature on Earth, from body and soul. His heart, one that she had helped him find, was oozing with selfless love for her. Selfless as such that he resisted her magnificence because he knew that it would be too risky for her.

_We're one mistake from being together  
But let's not ask why it's not right  
You won't be seventeen forever  
And we can get away with this tonight_

Draco Malfoy was head over heels for Hermione Granger. Truth be told, he had been for a long time. He had even realized it quite a while back. Having to confront Hermione about these feelings was out of the question though. He would never do anything that he knew would tarnish their hidden relationship. But as the days went by, his want for her, need for her, grew to massive proportions. Yet he held himself in check, practicing extreme self-control and patience. He doubted that he had the strength to carry on like this for a lot longer. Draco just couldn't get Hermione off his mind. He worked practically endlessly, drowning himself in his passion for knowledge, one of many traits they shared, but nothing seemed to be enough to engulf his thoughts the way she had.

Draco cleared his throat, realizing that he had drifted off into an infinite chain of nerve wrecking thoughts. He concentrated on her face once more, and tried to help her dismiss her fright.

"Hermione, you may never get a chance again to face your fear. No one tries because they know you disagree. But you can't run from this. You were the one who told me to face _my _fears. I used your strength and confidence in me to overcome everything that I had wanted to put behind me and finally succeeded. Now I want you to try and use my confidence in you."

Each of their nightly encounters had been a lesson to the duo. Hermione taught Draco self-respect, honesty, trust and friendship. She gave him a true sense of want that he had lacked in his life. Draco opened Hermione to a world full of possibilities; a world of laughter, pleasure, and spontaneity. He gave her emotional strength.

He stood up and hopped onto his broom, hovering in midair. Putting out his hand, he looked at her tentative expression and smirked.

"Come on… This is your time to enjoy this. You won't be seventeen forever. You won't have the same options facing you. And you get the privilege of riding with the best."

Hermione smiled up at his egotistical remark and placed her hand in his outstretched one. Without a moment to rethink her decision, she was hoisted up onto the broom and they zoomed off.

_You are young and I am scared  
You're wise beyond your years, but I don't care  
And I can feel your heartbeat  
You know exactly where to take me_

Draco pulled Hermione onto the broom and seated her in front of him, whizzing away before she had a chance to change her mind, which was quite likely. She sat with her fists clutching his shirt with a death grip and her face buried in the crook of his neck. Draco shivered softly has her warm breath tickled his neck innocently. His emotions were running askew and he had to keep himself extremely focused or else he would lose control and do something that might regret.

But it was hard to concentrate when her breasts was pressed so tightly against his chest. Her frenzied heartbeat hammered on top of his heart, and his feelings scared him, yet excited him almost to the point of submission.

Draco began to slow his pace until he came to a complete stop. He steadied the broom to float and put his arms around her into an embrace.

"Hermione. Look up love. We aren't moving anymore." His soothing voice was all the reassurance she needed but in all truth, she loved how close she was to him at this moment. She didn't want to move in fear that she would never get another chance to be this close to him; to be able to feel his heartbeat under her own palms.

Hermione kept her grip on him steady, making no indication of looking up anytime soon. She resisted the urge to lay a soft kiss on his neck as she took in his scent which, strangely, reminded her of the open sea. It was masculine and inviting, but also chaste and comforting. Hermione didn't know when and didn't know how. All she knew was that Draco was the man she was truly in love with. Her first and her last love, for if she revealed her true feelings and was rejected, she would continue to love him and never appreciate an entity the way she did him.

"Hermione. Please look up. Look at me at least. If it's any consolation you're stuck to the broom with a charm."

Hermione let out a sigh and knew she had to face him at one time or another. She lifted her head slowly to look at him but didn't dare look out into the sky. He smiled and softly cupped her chin, tilting it so that she could see the starry night that they were now a part of. A loud gasp escaped from her lips as she gazed at the breath taking illusion of a sky; it truly was a kaleidoscope of illimitable atmospheric phenomenon.

Draco couldn't contain the loving smile that broke out on his face as he watched his love experience a feeling of a lifetime. The first glimpse of a velvety dark sky while levitated so high above was a reward in itself.

_We're one mistake from being together  
But let's not ask why it's not right  
You won't be seventeen forever  
And we can get away with this tonight_

Hermione turned back to look at Draco and caught the smile he gave her right before he hid it away again, past the barricaded confines of his soul. Confusion clouded her mind and Draco read it through her eyes, trying to hide his evident infatuation. She placed a hand on his heart and Draco had no doubt that it forever belonged to her.

Eyes locked, breathing heavy, Draco leaned in closer to her lips and barely touched it when he shifted back slightly in doubt of his decision but mostly because the flames that burned his desire scorched his lips before he could truly enjoy that which he needed. Was this a mistake, or was it destiny? He wouldn't know because he couldn't do it. He couldn't push Hermione into something he believed they would live to regret later.

Draco turned his head away, "I can't," His eyes filled up and he choked on his own words, "Can't ruin what we have. I can't make that one mistake that I've been dying for."

Hermione knew the consequences were varied and that anything could happen in the next few minutes but she took that risk. She put her hands on the sides of his face and spun him to face her. A quickly as she had turned him around, he tightened his grasp on her waist and hauled her against him, his lips falling on hers. He didn't kiss her gently like a man expressing an emotion. He kissed her roughly, like a man in the grip of a need. He swallowed her gasp of surprise and took advantage of the slight parting of her lips to slide his tongue into her mouth. Her head spun and liquid warmth spread from her head to her toes.

She couldn't stop him. The same thing that had its hook on him took a hold of her. Her mind went blissfully black and she kissed him back eagerly, every bit as greedy as he was. Both of them engulfed each other wholly in the feel of skin against skin. They battled for dominance and shared a kiss so fierce that an inferno blazed at every touch and every stroke.

They remained the same way for as long as they could imagine but not long enough when they finally had to break apart to catch their breath. Both knew that this was no time for words. There was no word in any dialect that could fully express the extent of their connection. Hermione placed her head on his chest and rested at the sound of his heart vibrating through her ears. For a while, they hovered, holding each other in a silence that spoke millions. But they couldn't stay this way forever. The night had to end.

_  
"Will you remember me?"  
You ask me as I leave  
"Remember what?" I said  
Oh how could I, oh how could I forget  
_

Draco steered the broom back to the pitch and slowly got off the Firebolt. He turned to help Hermione off and didn't have but a moment to react as she slipped off of the slim wood she was balancing on. He held the broom and pulled it from under her, then caught her as she fell backwards.

Sliding one arm beneath her shoulders and another beneath her knees, he swung her off her feet and away from the fallen broom stick. For several stunned seconds, she simply stared at him, wide-eyed, her heart pounding from the near fall. Then she realized she was in his arms, cradled against his chest and the pounding of her heart changed meaning. Hermione had never felt smaller or more feminine than she did right then. She was the woman teaching him more about himself then he could imagine and he was her hero, her rescuer.

He set her on her feet, and they were standing face-to-face, so close that their bodies were almost touching.

He cleared his throat and smiled at her.

"By the way, happy birthday."

The large Hogwarts clock chimed, indicating midnight.

"How did you know?" she stared at him, dumbfounded at his consideration of her and those things special to her, like an 18th birthday perhaps.

"You told me. And I'll always remember."

Draco gazed into Hermione's eyes with such sincerity that it all but made her eyes sparkle with unshed tears. She threw herself at him and consumed him in a needy embrace; one which showed him just how much this meant to her. And when she pulled back, their lips met softly. Warmly. Wetly. She closed her eyes realizing how well they fit. How perfectly. Then all thought vanished in the wake of a landslide that tumbled through her. His kiss didn't merely convey the depth of his desire. Waves of genuine emotion wove through it enticingly. Where his physical needs had caused him to take in their first kiss, this time he gave. He pulled responses from her that she didn't even know she was capable of giving, and once led down that path, her appetite was suddenly as strong as his.

_  
We're one mistake from being together  
But let's not ask why it's not right  
You won't be seventeen forever  
And we can get away with this tonight_

Placing her hands on the sides of his face, she brought him closer, her breasts crushed against his chest and she deepened the kiss. Intense emotion pulsated through her blood. Her heartbeat smashed against her ribs. Their first kiss had been needy; a pulse-pounding exchange between two sexually attracted people. This one, on the other hand, had given her an insight on how much he wanted her. And to Draco, how much she longed for him. He couldn't resist her anymore than she could resist him.

They broke apart, panting, trying to regulate their breathing.

"Tomorrow, I'll tell the world. I love you Hermione Granger." The words were out before he could stop them. What he had been thinking in his mind had unknowingly graced his lips and before he knew it, he was staring her nervously, waiting for the reply that could fulfill his dreams or shatter them like the glass his heart was made of, delicate and breakable.

Hermione couldn't believe what she had just heard. What she longed for, dreamed for since when they had begun these late night rendezvous', was all coming to life in front of her eyes. And she was speechless. She launched herself at him, clutching his neck and burying her face in the junction between his neck and shoulder. She kissed him there, just as she had envisioned and realized she hadn't properly replied yet.

"Hermione. Love you. But need to breathe…" Draco choked out.

His voice brought her back to her senses and she looked up at him, letting out a shaky breath as the tears finally came.

"Of course I love you too you prat! Wipe that stupid look off your face."

Draco's expression changed from nervous to relieved to besotted. His stormy-grey eyes were overflowing with the love he felt for the woman in his arms. But it was time to leave. They had been out later than this but tomorrow was to be a big day.

A very special day.

"I promise you. Tomorrow they will all know. And no matter what happens, these hands," he intertwined his fingers into hers, "will always be entwined with yours."

"Always?"

"Forever and ever love."

_Love is when you give someone the power to break your heart… but trust them not to…_

**A/N- Totally fluff I know… I felt like writing it… So tell me how it was!**


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